July 25 (Bloomberg) -- Black & Decker Corp., the largest U.S. power-tool maker, sued Japan's Makita Corp. for infringing patents on transmission assemblies used in drills.

Makita's three-speed MXT and LXT model drills sold in Home Depot Inc. and Lowe's Cos. stores violate three Black & Decker patents awarded since 2006, the company claims in its complaint filed yesterday in federal court in Delaware.

``Black & Decker is entitled to recover damages adequate to compensate it for such infringement,'' the company said in the complaint. Black & Decker also seeks unspecified damages and an order to stop Makita from selling the drills.

Shares of Makita, with $2.39 billion in sales during the last fiscal year, rose to a record last month, reflecting plans for global expansion. Towson, Maryland-based Black & Decker, with $6.44 billion in 2006 sales, plans to release second-quarter earnings information tomorrow.

Officials in Makita U.S.A.'s legal department in La Mirada, California, weren't available to comment on the lawsuit and didn't immediately return calls.

Shares of Black & Decker fell 5 cents to $91.81 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. Anjo, Aichi-prefecture-based Makita fell 160 Japanese yen to 5,400 in trading in Tokyo.

The case is Black & Decker Inc. v. Makita U.S.A. Inc., 07CV461, U.S. District Court, Delaware (Wilmington).

To contact the reporter on this story: Phil Milford in Wilmington, Delaware, at pmilford@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 25, 2007 16:11 EDT